Bulls' Rally Barely Misses

November 10, 1994|By Sam Smith, Tribune Staff Writer.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Barely seven minutes remained in the third quarter of what was becoming a painful night for the Bulls.

They could not control New Jersey center Benoit Benjamin, something not often said around the league. P.J. Brown was knocking Bulls aside like duck pins, and projected Bulls starting center Luc Longley was getting word from doctors that he'd be out for up to 10 weeks with a stress fracture of the ankle.

Standing near center court during a timeout, coach Phil Jackson asked trainer Chip Schaefer for an aspirin. This was getting to be a big-time headache.

But the Bulls almost pulled off a miracle cure for the coach, coming back from 14 down with 7:17 left, then 10 down with 3:27 left, before falling to the Nets 110-109 Wednesday.

"We had a shot to win it, and it didn't go down," Jackson said of Steve Kerr's three-point attempt that would have given the Bulls a lead with 5 seconds left.

"I got a good shot," said Kerr, who took a baseline out-of-bounds pass from Scott Pippen, who led the Bulls with 28 points. "I thought it was in when I let it go, but it just rattled out."

So the Bulls lost a game that shouldn't have been close for them. They were outrebounded 47-34, opening the way for layup after layup by the Nets and allowing the usually lethargic Benjamin to come up with several crucial plays and the eventual winning free throws after still another offensive rebound.

"Benoit Benjamin was the star of the game and rightly so," said Jackson. "He was a big factor in the lane."

Benjamin had 13 rebounds to go with 22 points to lead the Nets, who shot 53.2 percent. They were the league's second-worst shooting team last year and were shooting 36.5 percent coming into the game. But layups help any team.

"We've got to block out, do everything fundamental," said Pippen. "We're not that talented a team. We don't have guys who can jump over guys; we don't have the size, the speed or the strength. We've got to block guys out. That's the only way we'll get better as a team."

Yet the Bulls almost pulled the game out. Kerr hit a three-pointer. Toni Kukoc, who had 22 points, scored on a drive. Will Perdue, who had 17 points and nine rebounds, added a tip-in. And Pippen converted a three-point play as the Bulls closed to 103-100 with 2:16 left.

Pippen added two more free throws and a drive to tie the score with 32.5 seconds left before Kenny Anderson hit a leaner in the lane to put the Nets up 108-106.

Pippen then drove and missed and was upset there was no foul call, just as he was at the end of one-point loss to Washington on Saturday night. "It was the second straight game I took a crucial shot and didn't get a call," he said. "I'm not getting the calls I should be getting."

The Bulls got the ball back when Benjamin fell out of bounds with the rebound. But Kerr missed the three, and then Benjamin hit the two clinching free throws before Kukoc hit a three-pointer at the buzzer.

In addition to the problem at center, power forward, weakened by the departures of Horace Grant and Scott Williams, became more of a concern with Larry Krystkowiak out with a sore knee.

So Jackson started Corie Blount, who with replacement Dickey Simpkins kept Jackson exasperated with missed offensive and defensive assignments. The combined to shoot 1 of 7 and collected four rebounds and eight fouls in 35 minutes.

"I know I haven't been helping the team," said Blount. "I started and thought I could help, but nothing went my way. Last year at this time, I was playing much better than I am now. I'm very discouraged."

Ron Harper again seemed lost in the offense, getting just two shots in the half and ending up with six points in 18 minutes.